Voting has begun in Myanmar's heavily restricted polls, with the ruling junta touting the exercise as a return to democracy five years after it ousted the last elected government, triggering civil war.
Campaigners, Western diplomats and the UN's rights chief have all condemned the phased month-long vote, citing a ballot stacked with military allies and a stark crackdown on dissent.
The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party is widely expected to emerge as the largest one, in what critics say would be a rebranding of martial rule.
The Southeast Asian nation of around 50 million is riven by civil war, and there will be no voting in rebel-held areas.
Guinea
Guinea also votes on Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to hand Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup, a seven-year mandate, completing the West African nation’s transition back to civilian rule.
The former special forces commander, believed to be in his early 40s, faces eight other candidates in a fragmented field with no strong challenger.
Ousted president Alpha Conde and long-time opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo remain in exile.
Guinea holds the world's largest bauxite reserves and the richest untapped iron ore deposit at Simandou, officially launched last month after years of delay.
Central African Republic
Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin-Archange Touadera is seeking a third term as the chronically unstable country holds national elections, touting security gains made with the help of Russian mercenaries and Rwandan soldiers.
The 68-year-old mathematician oversaw a constitutional referendum in 2023 that scrapped the presidential term limit, drawing an outcry from his critics.
A Touadera victory – the expected outcome – would likely further the interests of Russia, which has traded security assistance for access to resources, including gold and diamonds.
Kosovo
Kosovo will hold a parliamentary election as nationalist Prime Minister Albin Kurti's party seeks a majority to end a year-long political deadlock that has paralysed parliament and delayed international funding.
The vote is the second this year in Europe's youngest nation after Kurti's Vetevendosje party fell short of a majority in February. Months of failed coalition talks prompted President Vjosa Osmani to dissolve parliament in November and call an early election.
Failure to form a government and reopen parliament would prolong the crisis at a critical time: lawmakers must elect a new president in April and ratify $1.2 billion in loan agreements from the European Union and World Bank that expire in the coming months.
